Chris Weidman Opens Up On Career, May-Mac And More

Recently, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman was a guest on “Submission Radio.”

Weidman, who is coming off a finish of Kelvin Gastelum to snap a three-fight losing streak, discussed the idea of a move to light heavyweight, Saturday’s Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather fight and more:

Why Chris had to have surgery on his thumb

“So, I guess in the fight on one of my left hooks, I’m pretty sure in the first or second (round) when he was coming after me, I threw a left hook and my thumb got dislocated and I had torn a ligament and a little piece of bone. And so after the fight I got my hands checked out. I thought I was gonna be okay, I didn’t think I was gonna need surgery. I was just hoping just something was broken, but ended up needing to do a surgery where it’s gonna be an alright recovery, it’s like a six-week recovery. But they gave me a crazy-ass scar, I got a pin in my hand right now, had a bunch of stitches. So it’s pretty painful surgery, but it’s a quick recovery.”

How his thumb is feeling now

“I’m like two weeks, I’m like two and a half, I think I’m almost three weeks removed from surgery. I had surgery pretty much right away. Yeah, but it was one of those things where it was really painful and I had a, you know, it’s a monster scar and I think anything on my hand just is, it sucks with all the nerve endings in there. But yeah, no, it’s doing alright, it’s feeling good.”

If life is more enjoyable now that he’s finally back in the win column after beating Kelvin Gastelum

“You know, I feel good, I feel good. And yeah, I guess a little less stressed, but I’m very motivated to continue. So I’m back in the gym, I’m doing everything I can with my legs. I got my legs looking good, trying to get those calf muscles looking right, you know, and just doing everything I can cosmetically to be looking as good as I can, and that’s it.”

Who makes sense next for Weidman’s next fight

“I don’t know, we shall see. The division is in a weird spot. I got into this sport to become champion, so whatever it takes to get the belt. That’s where the money’s at, like, the real money that you’re able to use, you know, for the rest of your life to make this all worth it, I feel like you gotta get that belt. So that’s the goal. Whatever way I can get the belt, whether it’s rematches with Yoel Romero or Luke Rockhold. You know, whoever’s in the top five (that) people want to see me fight, I’m down for. Obviously, the quicker way I can get the, belt that’s what I want to do.”

If Weidman is eyeing Luke Rockhold if he beats David Branch

“Yeah, who knows. Who knows what’s gonna happen. I think Branch beats him. I think Luke, he got put to sleep by pillow-hands Bisping and I think his chin might be gone, so I have a feeling he gets put to sleep against Branch. But we shall see, I don’t know. I don’t know what the future entails. I’m not really anticipating anything. I can’t control these things, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just gotta take care of myself, and whoever gets thrown on my plate we’ll go forward with that.”

With his rivalry with Bisping and Bisping being close to retirement, if Chris would be disappointed if he never got a chance to fight Bisping

“Nah, I don’t care. I want the biggest challenges, and honestly I don’t think he’s the biggest challenge. Definitely, whether he’s the champ or not, he’s not the individual that I get excited to fight because he’s champion. I could get excited to fight him if he had the belt. Other than that, which I don’t see him having the belt very long, I don’t see any reason to fight him.”

On Bisping taking Weidman’s tweets about his eye very seriously and threatening to “get him” when he sees his next

“Man, this guy does everything, he bashes everybody else. You know, he doesn’t expect anybody else to get sensitive when he’s bashing them and he rips up the Cuban flag right in front of Yoel Romero’s face while Yoel’s Romero’s in the middle of a championship fight. I mean, you can’t get more disrespectful and a guy that crosses the line more. So if I was gonna, you know, mess with somebody, Michael Bisping, I think you could bring everything to the table. I don’t think you really have to think too much before you speak with him after everything he said. He’s pretty much, you pretty much go free range on him. So I can’t believe he’s so sensitive when someone says something to him. He can’t take it. It’s crazy.”

If it’s going to be weird if they run into each other behind the scenes or on a UFC Tonight set

“(laughs) I’m sure it will be. I don’t care. I really can’t get mad at anything Bisping says and I can’t take him seriously. I mean, listen, if the guy comes in my face and he’s screaming, we’re probably gonna end up fighting. But I don’t think – if he really wants to do that type of thing, he’s looking for a fight, I mean, if he comes in my face and creates a problem, there’s going to be a problem, but I’m not looking for a problem with the guy. I don’t really care.”

What Weidman thinks about GSP fighting Bisping for the title

“It’s a crazy thing. I feel this whole thing is probably going to hold up the division for a long time if it works out that way. The way it looks like right now and the possibilities of how long it could take before opportunities for the guys to fight for the belt, it looks a little crazy right now. So hopefully things change a little bit and hopefully they will, cause I know Whittaker’s injured pretty long, I know he has a bad knee surgery, so I don’t know when he’s going to be back. And then you got GSP and Bisping. I mean, GSP hasn’t fought in four years and he’s been out for a while, so who knows until when he’d be ready if he was to win to fight again. And then you have Bisping, who also really hasn’t fought too much since he’s had the belt, you know? So I don’t know when even they would fight Whittaker, and then the winner of that, when are you actually gonna fight them, barring injury or not. So it’s a weird weight class right now, so I really don’t know. This whole thing is out of my control, so I just gotta sit back and worry about myself and see what happens.”

If GSP would defend his belt if he beats Bisping

“I don’t know, I guess. I mean, if he’s saying he has to, maybe he will. So we shall see.”

On possibly going to light heavyweight if the middleweight title picture is held up

“Yeah, definitely there has to be a clear picture. Like I said, my goal is to be the champ and there’s no way of me getting to have the belt for two years or more just based on other people taking their time with taking fights. It’s a weird place to be, it’s not interesting. I mean, if 185 doesn’t like, things don’t change, I want to maybe think about possibly going to 205. So we’ll see.”

Why 205 is a potential move for Weidman

“Well, I think it’s a little bit of a thinner division and right now the title picture, I don’t feel like there’s clear contenders, you know? I don’t know how many guys that are up in the top-five that they’re shooting to fight for the title soon. So if there’s a clear picture to a title at 205, then I would consider that. But again, I’m not really putting too much thought into any of this. Obviously I gotta focus on getting my hand better and staying healthy, and that’s it, man. Let’s see, maybe Bisping or maybe GSP gets injured, I don’t know, and then I’ll be ready to go for November and Bisping won’t be able to scatter away from a guy like me. So that would be something that would work out for me nice for me. I’m in New York, I’m ready to go.”

If Weidman’s open to his next fight being at 205

“If there’s a clearer picture to the title, yeah.”

Weidman’s prediction for Mayweather/McGregor

“Yeah, I mean I think I have him (McGregor) winning now. I think he’s gonna win. That’s my last prediction. Third-round knockout.”

“It’s just a gut feeling, just I’m feeling it. I think it’s gonna happen and then they’re going to have a second fight, Mayweather’s gonna win that and then next thing you know they got a Conor verses Floyd trilogy, and everybody’s spent 300 bucks, which means 500 million for each of them.”